Tape winding means

ABSTRACT

Tape guide means receive longitudinally moving tape in a horizontal position and impart a twist thereto for delivering it edgewise to a rotary tray driven at a speed faster than the tape. The tray bottom has angled ridges which frictionally engage the delivered tape and impel it adaxially to cause the tape to coil and form into a roll. The ridges also jostle the roll during formation for tightening the coiled tape into a compact roll.

United States Patent Nichols et a1.

[ 1 June 27, 1972 TAPE WINDING MEANS [72] Inventors: William A. Nichols, 5617 Hawthorne,

Montclair, Calif. 91763; Ralph E. Simpson, 604 E. Arrow Hwy., Upland, Calif. 91786 [22] Filed: March 2,1970

[21] Appl.No.: 15,616

[52] US. Cl ..242/55.21

[51] lnt.Cl ..B6Sh 17/48 [58] Field ofSearch ..242/67.1,7l.1,$5.2l,179,

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,126,161 3/1964 Bemiss et al ..242/195 1,145,633 7/1915 Uebelmesser ..242/55.21

1,270,115 6/1918 Carpenter ..242/55.2l 2,846,158 8/1958 'Hendershot ..242/5S.21UX

Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Assistant Examiner-Milton Gerstein Attorney-John l-l. Crowe and Peter H. Firsht 571 ABSTRACT Tape guide means receive longitudinally moving tape in a horizontal position and impart a twist thereto for delivering it edgewise to a rotary tray driven at a speed faster than the tape. The tray bottom has angled ridges which frictionally engage the delivered tape and impel it adaxially to cause the tape to coil and form into a roll. The ridges also jostle the roll during formation for tightening the coiled tape into a compact roll.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures TAPE WINDING MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to automatic tape winding means, and more particularly to such means adapted to wind the output tape from a high speed tape punch of the type employed in newspaper composing rooms as the output punch for a justifying computer.

As those skilled in the art of newspaper composition are aware, line casting machines (originally designed and built solely for manual operation) have in recent years been increasingly converted to automatic operation by the installation of a tape controlled device known commercially as the Teletypesetter Operating Unit (hereinafter Operating Unit or simply Unit), a product of Fairchild Graphic Equipment Division of Fairchild Camera & Instrument Corporation, Plainview, New York, which attaches directly to'the keyboard of such a machine. A line casting machine so equipped can be converted from manual to automatic operation, or vice versa, by simply turning a tape control lever on the Operating Unit. The tape fed to the Operating Unit is of a specially prepared type having coded perforations, the function of the Unit being to read these perforations and translate them into mechanical actions which automatically operate the line casting machine.

The perforated tape which controls the Operating Unit can be prepared from blank paper tape of suitable type by means of a Teletypesetter perforator, an instrument made and sold by Fairchild Camera, the manufacturer of the Operating Unit. The Teletypesetter perforator (hereinafter perforator) is equipped with a fast keyboard and a mechanism cooperating therewith to punch code symbols, and center feed holes, in the tape. This method of preparing the perforated tape, however, has the disadvantage of requiring the services of at least one trained operator for perforator keyboard work who must, as he works, make continuous type justification, hyphenation, etc., decisions of the sort necessary for the production of usable tape copy. The necessity of making these decisions slows down the operator and results in a reduced rate of copy flow from his machine. In more recent years, computers capable of taking over the perforator operators decision-making chores have come into usage, thus freeing the operator for the production of straight unjustified copy, which can be turned out much faster, and with far less strain, than can justified copy. These computers are designed to read unjustified tape copy and transmit commands to a high speed tape punch mechanism, which then prepares new tape, in properly justified form, for feeding to the Operating Unit on the line casting machine.

A typical example of a high speed tape punch mechanism of the above-indicated type is manufactured by Teletype Corporation of Skokie, Illinois, and made available under the name High Speed Tape Punch Set (BRPE), referred to hereinafter as the BRPE punch (or simply punch). The BRPE punch is designed to perforate information in paper tape at speeds up to 1 characters per second, which is equivalent to 1,100 words per minute. Heretofore, no very satisfactory method of winding the justified tape from a BRPE punch has been provided, although, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, the winding of this tape from the inside out, into fairly tight rolls, is a practical necessity for efficient use of the tape in the Operating Unit of a line casting machine.

While certain winders supplied by Fairchild Camera for the winding of tape from their perforators have, to some extent, been employed for the winding of the BRPE tape, these win ders are subject to certain inherent disadvantages. One such winder is powered by a key-wound spring motor, and has a plunger knob for manually starting and stopping it, as well as a stop lever which automatically stops the winder when the tape becomes taut. This winder has a reel with front and back plates separated by four slotted mounting posts, the posts being sized and spaced to hold the plates apart the proper distance to admit the tape therebetween' and form a reel frame around which the tape winds. The recommended procedure for threading feed tape into the tape winder involves the steps of removing the front plate, passing the tape under the stop lever and through one of the mounting posts, then replacing the front plate on the winder. The stop lever is mechanically interlinked with the inner workings of the tape winder in such a way that its upward movement a fractional distance by tautening of the tape causes shutdown of the winding mechanism and consequent stoppage of the winder. Where the winder is used with a BRPE punch, increasing tautness of the tape can be the result of punch malfunctioning, or other difficulty. But regardless of the causation of such tautness, the necessity of a safety control, such as the aforesaid stop lever, on a tape winder insensitive to the performance fluctuations of its tape feeding device, to prevent continued winding after tape production ceases, is apparent.

One disadvantage of the aforesaid winder is the necessity of manually threading feed tape thereinto, a somewhat cumbersome and time-consuming procedure, as will be apparent. Another disadvantage, or shortcoming, of the winder results from the obvious lack of mechanical correlation between the BRPE punch driving and the tape winding systems, which creates a need for an automatic safety control to guard against the possibility of continued functioning of the winder after failure or malfunctioning of the punch.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The unique winder of the present invention can be used to wind output tape from various tape processing means but was specifically designed to receive the output tape from a BRPE punch and form it into a compact roll for easy handling and feeding to the Operating Unit of a line casting machine. The winder is absent the above-mentioned, and other, shortcomings, or disadvantages, of those winding devices heretofore employed for such use. The winder is of simplified construction, consisting essentially of a motor-driven tray, horizontally disposed and mounted to rotate about a vertical axis and a tape guide means to route the output tape from a BRPE punch onto the tray. The tape guide means has a delivery end which feeds the tape downwardly edgewise so that the lower edge of the tape contacts the bottom of the tray. The tray is connected to a motor adapted to drive it at a slightly higher speed than the speed of the moving tape from the punch, and its bottom has a pattern of angled ridges, positioned to impel the fed tape toward the rotational axis of the tray for coiling the tape. The ridges also agitate, or jostle, the tape as it is being coiled. As will be seen, the speed of the tray, the adaxial impelling efiected by the ridges, and the constant agitation imparted to the tape by these ridges, combine to urge the tape into a relatively tight roll as it accumulates in the tray. The tape roll is built up from the inside out, as necessary for its feeding to the Operating Unit on a line casting machine.

Our novel winder is of simple and relatively inexpensive construction and is fully automatic in operation, requiring only the flipping of a switch to turn its tray motor on or off. If the tray motor is left running, and tape feed into the winder ceases, no harm is done, since the moving tray will only succeed in keeping the accumulated roll tight and compact. The winder, in its preferred form, has relatively high tape holding capacity (typically 600-foot capacity), and is designed to permit the easy removal of tape therefrom with one hand. The method of operation and construction of the winder is such as to obviate the initial tape-threading requirement of the abovedescribed perforator winder, and thereby remove any temptation to let the tape pile up on the floor, or elsewhere, to avoid the difficulty of threading it into a winder. Our winder has no need for safety stop means as insurance against damage to the tape in the event its feeding movement into the winder ceases for any reason, since in this contingency there is no pulling strain, like that in a spring-wound winder, on the tape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tape winder embodying the principles of the present invention operatively positioned to receive the output tape from a high speed tape punch and showing the tape wound into a compact roll.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the mounting and motor drive for the rotary tray of the winder, the roll of tape being omitted.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the tape winder showing the angled ridges formed in the bottom of the tray and illustrating the action thereof, during rotation, on the leading portion of the output tape fed thereto to initiatethe formation of a tape roll.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the action of the rotating tray in forming a compact tape roll.

FIG. 5 is a larger scale fragmentary v ertical sectional view on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT winder l0 embodying the principles of the present invention and consisting essentially of a tape guideway 12, a rotary tray .14, and a stationary cover 16 partially enclosing the tray, all

mounted on a housing 18. The winder is operatively positioned relative to a high speed tape punch P, previously referred to, or the like, so that a longitudinally moving output tape T fed therefrom is directed into the tape guideway. Paper particles resulting from operation of the punch drop into a container C associated with the punch. As will later appear, the tape guideway delivers the tape to the rotary tray which operates during rotation to form the tape into a tape rollR.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 18 has a baseplate 20 and houses a gear box 22 secured to the roof thereof, as by screws 23 or the like. The gear box supports an electric motor 24 and contains a train of gears (not shown) operatively related to the motor. Connected to the motor are power leads 26 and switch leads 28, fragmentarily shown, the switch leads being connected to'a toggle switch 30, see FIG. 1.

The tray 14 is circular and has a bottom 32 and an upstanding peripheral edge or rim 34. Dependingly secured to the tray bottom is a spindle shaft 36 (FIG. 2), which extends through a suitable opening in the housing 18 and is geared to the gear train in the gear box 22. A bearing 38mounted on the gear box receives and journals the shaft for rotation about a vertical axis A. Thus, with leads 26 connected to power and switch 30 closed, the motor 24 operates to rotate the tray clockwise as shown by the directional arrow D in FIG. 3.

The tray bottom 32 is provided with elongated protuberances or ridges 40 which play an important part in the present invention and are significant structural features thereof. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ridges are angularly arranged about the axis A, at equal distances therefrom. Each ridge has ends 42 and 44, the latter trailing the former and being disposed closer to the axis, so that objects engaged by the ridges during rotation, such as the tape T or roll R, are deflected or cammed and impelled inwardly toward the axis. Preferably, the ridges are rounded to avoid harm to the tape and can be stamped into the tray bottom, as shown in FIG. 5.

The guideway 12 is formed in the usual manner from a strip of metal having side edges turned to provide overlying lips 46 and is configured with a twisted portion 48 for causing the tape T to turn a comer of about 90 and be delivered substantially standing on edge. The guideway is mounted on an elongated support plate 50 which is coextensive therewith and similarly configured, the support plate being suitably mounted on the housing 18, as by a bracket 52, or the like, best seen in FIG. 2. The guideway is thus capable of receiving the tape in a substantially horizontal fashion and turning it during longitudinal movement thereof through the guideway for delivery of the tape in upstanding fashion, that is, disposed on edge substantially vertically, as will be appreciated from a viewing of FIGS. 1 and 3. Associated with the delivery end of the guideway is a retaining plate 54 bridging the lips 46 and suitably secured to the support plate as by screws 56, or the like. The plate has a straight edge 58 for cutting of the tape.

It is to be noted that the delivery end of the guideway 12 is disposed above the tray rim 34, adjacent thereto, and the tape T is delivered thereacross onto the tray bottom 32 in lower edgewise engaging relation. The ridges 40, during rotation of the tray, are driven at a speed greater than the speed of longitudinal movement of the tape so as to contact the lower edge of the tape with a degree of drag and cam or deflect the tape and impel it inwardly toward the axis of rotation A for turning the tape inwardly, as shown in FIG; 3, to initiate the formation of a tape roll. The inward or adaxial impelling action by the rotating ridges is exerted on the outer layer of tape as it is delivered to the tray, causing a coiling thereof and eventual formation of a tape roll R. The ridges also serve to agitate or jostle the tape on the tray for assisting the tight coiling thereof under the adaxial impelling of the ridges, the roll eventually growing to the size shown in FIG. 1.

The cover 16 prevents the roll from being jostled out of the tray and has a quadrant notch or cutout 60 and a deflector 62 to accommodate delivery of the tape to the tray and removal of the tape roll R therefrom. Coextensive with the partial peripheral edge of the cover is a depending skirt 64 partially surrounding the tray and spaced slightly from the rim 34 thereof, as shown in FIG. 2. The cover and skirt are suitably held in place on the housing 18, as by screws 66 or the like.

It is believed that the operation of the tape winding device of the present invention is clearly apparent, and is briefly summarized at this point. Referring to FIG. 3, with the motor driven tray 14 rotating, the guideway 12 guides the tape T and delivers it edgewise angled downwardly onto the tray bottom 32. As the lower edge of the tape comes into contact with the tray bottom, it is cammed or deflected inwardly by the impelling ridges 40 toward the central axis A of the tray to turn and form the initial coil of the tape roll. With continued delivery of the tape and rotation of the tray at a speed slightly greater than the speed of delivery of the tape, the ridges continue their adaxial action to form the tape roll R, as shown in FIG. 4. The ridges also serve to agitate or jostle the roll to keep the coiled layers thereof somewhat loose so that drag on the outermost layer of tape can be transmitted to the inner layers and effect a tightening of the coiled layers, as the diameter of the roll increases with the continued delivery of the tape. Such action continues until a point is reached where the friction between the coiled layers of tape is so great that drag on the outermost layer is no longer transmitted to the innermost layers. From this point on, the delivered tape is added to the roll in tightly wrapped fashion and the diameter of the roll grows until the axis thereof is substantially coaxial with the axis of rotation of the tray, as shown in FIG. 1. The tape roll can be withdrawn from the tray through the cutout 60 and separated from the device 10 by severing the tape with the use of the straight edge of the cutofi plate 54. The tray can be rotating, or stopped, as desired.

There has thus been provided a tape winding apparatus of simple and relatively inexpensive construction which operates in a safe and reliable manner and employs rotary impelling means and a tape feed operating at different speeds, whereby the impelling means deflect tape fed thereto inwardly toward the axis of rotation and effect drag on the tape so as to cause the tape to coil into a roll, the impelling means also serving to jostle the tape during coiling to effect tightening thereof simultaneously with diametrical growth of the roll incident to the feeding of tape, internal friction between the coiled layers of the tape eventually limiting further tightening thereof, after which the roll grows in diameter until a roll of tape substantially coaxial with the axis of rotation is formed.

Although the tape winding device of the present invention has herein been shown and described in considerable detail in what is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that many variations of the embodiment are possible and that the present invention is not limited to such details but is to be considered in its broadest aspects and accorded the full scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Tape winding means for automatically winding longitudinally moving tape, comprising:

tape receiving turntable means mounted for rotation about an axis and having floor means, said floor means including protuberances adapted during rotation to frictionally engage tape received by the turntable means and impel the tape adaxially for coiling the same, said protuberances being movable at a speed greater than the speed of the longitudinally moving tape to provide a speed differential therebetween which efi'ects drag on the delivered tape and impels it inwardly toward the axis of rotation; and

tape delivery means for delivering longitudinally moving tape to the turntable means for engagement by the floor means. I 2. Tape winding means for automatically winding longitudinally moving tape, comprising:

tape receiving turntable means mounted for rotation about an axis and having floor means adapted during rotation to frictionally engage tape received by the turntable means and impel the tape adaxially for coiling the same, said floor means including a tray bottom bounded by a projecting barrier defining a cavity, and cover means including a member spaced from the tray bottom in facing relation thereto for retaining the tape in the cavity, said member having a cutout portion for delivery of tape to the tray bottom and easy removal of the coiled roll; and

tape delivery means for delivering longitudinally moving tape to the turntable means for engagement by the floor means.

3. The winding means of claim 2 in which said tape delivery means has a tape delivery end spaced from the barrier and adapted to deliver tape thereacross with one tape edge above the other for engagement of the lower edge of the tape with the tray bottom.

4. The winding means of claim 3 in which said tape delivery end is provided with an edge against which the outer layer of tape of the coiled roll is engaged for cutting the same during said removal of the roll.

5. Tape winding means for automatically winding longitudinally moving tape, comprising:

tape receiving turntable means mounted for rotation about an axis and having floor means adapted during rotation to frictionally engage tape received by the turntable means and impel the tape adaxially for coiling the same, said floor means including a motor-driven circular tray mounted for rotation about an upstanding axis and having a flat bottom bounded by an upstanding peripheral barrier, said tray bottom having elements projecting upwardly therefrom adapted during rotation of the tray to engage the tape delivered thereonto and impel it inwardly toward the rotational axis and form it into a coil, said elements moving faster than the longitudinally moving tape and having trailing ends equidistantly spaced from the axis and leading ends at a greater distance therefrom for agitating the coiled tape and frictionally engaging it with a carnming effect for forming it into a substantially tight roll from the inside out; and

tape delivery means for delivering longitudinally moving tape to the turntable means for engagement by the floor means.

6. The winding means of claim 2 in which said tape delivery means include tape guiding means adapted to direct the longitudinally moving tape in edgewise fashion across the barrier and onto the tray bottom, said tape guiding means having a substantially upright tape delivery end, a substantially horizontal tape receiving end, and a twisted intermediate portion for guiding the tape smoothly between the ends, and said receiving end adapted to be juxtaposed relative to the tape output of a tape processing means for receiving longitudinally movin tape therefrom.

7. 'I ape winding means for automatically winding longitudinally moving tape, comprising:

tape receiving turntable means mounted for rotation about an axis and having floor means including protuberances adapted during rotation to frictionally engage tape received by the turntable means and impel the tape adaxially for coiling the same, said protuberances being rounded ridges of equal length, each of the ridges having a longitudinal axis and a leading end and a trailing end, said longitudinal axes being similarly angled with respect to radii extending between the trailing ends of the ridges and the axis of rotation, and said ridges during rotation effecting camming of the delivered tape for impelling it inwardly and also serving to jostle said tape for forming it into a tightly coiled roll; and

tape delivery means for delivering longitudinally moving tape to the turntable means for engagement by the floor means.

I! 1 IF =l 

1. Tape winding means for automatically winding longitudinally moving tape, comprising: tape receiving turntable means mounted for rotation about an axis and having floor means, said floor means including protuberances adapted during rotation to frictionally engage tape received by the turntable means and impel the tape adaxially for coiling the same, said protuberances being movable at a speed greater than the speed of the longitudinally moving tape to provide a speed differential therebetween which effects drag on the delivered tape and impels it inwardly toward the axis of rotation; and tape delivery means for delivering longitudinally moving tape to the turntable means for engagement by the floor means.
 2. Tape winding means for automatically winding longitudinally moving tape, comprising: tape receiving turntable means mounted for rotation about an axis and having floor means adapted during rotation to frictionally engage tape received by the turntable means and impel the tape adaxially for coiling the same, said floor means including a tray bottom bounded by a projecting barrier defining a cavity, and cover means including a member spaced from the tray bottom in facing relation thereto for retaining the tape in the cavity, said member having a cutout portion for delivery of tape to the tray bottom and easy removal of the coiled roll; and tape delivery means for delivering longitudinally moving tape to the turntable means for engagement by the floor means.
 3. The winding means of claim 2 in which said tape delivery means has a tape delivery end spaced from the barrier and adapted to deliver tape thereacross with one tape edge above the other for engagement of the lower edge of the tape with the tray bottom.
 4. The winding means of claim 3 in which said tape delivery end is provided with an edge Against which the outer layer of tape of the coiled roll is engaged for cutting the same during said removal of the roll.
 5. Tape winding means for automatically winding longitudinally moving tape, comprising: tape receiving turntable means mounted for rotation about an axis and having floor means adapted during rotation to frictionally engage tape received by the turntable means and impel the tape adaxially for coiling the same, said floor means including a motor-driven circular tray mounted for rotation about an upstanding axis and having a flat bottom bounded by an upstanding peripheral barrier, said tray bottom having elements projecting upwardly therefrom adapted during rotation of the tray to engage the tape delivered thereonto and impel it inwardly toward the rotational axis and form it into a coil, said elements moving faster than the longitudinally moving tape and having trailing ends equidistantly spaced from the axis and leading ends at a greater distance therefrom for agitating the coiled tape and frictionally engaging it with a camming effect for forming it into a substantially tight roll from the inside out; and tape delivery means for delivering longitudinally moving tape to the turntable means for engagement by the floor means.
 6. The winding means of claim 2 in which said tape delivery means include tape guiding means adapted to direct the longitudinally moving tape in edgewise fashion across the barrier and onto the tray bottom, said tape guiding means having a substantially upright tape delivery end, a substantially horizontal tape receiving end, and a twisted intermediate portion for guiding the tape smoothly between the ends, and said receiving end adapted to be juxtaposed relative to the tape output of a tape processing means for receiving longitudinally moving tape therefrom.
 7. Tape winding means for automatically winding longitudinally moving tape, comprising: tape receiving turntable means mounted for rotation about an axis and having floor means including protuberances adapted during rotation to frictionally engage tape received by the turntable means and impel the tape adaxially for coiling the same, said protuberances being rounded ridges of equal length, each of the ridges having a longitudinal axis and a leading end and a trailing end, said longitudinal axes being similarly angled with respect to radii extending between the trailing ends of the ridges and the axis of rotation, and said ridges during rotation effecting camming of the delivered tape for impelling it inwardly and also serving to jostle said tape for forming it into a tightly coiled roll; and tape delivery means for delivering longitudinally moving tape to the turntable means for engagement by the floor means. 